Mr Bush took a dig at John Kerry’s image as an indecisive “flip-flopper”, offering voters instead his own brand of “steady, consistent, principled leadership”.

But he largely avoided the ill-tempered vitriol and scathing attacks on his Democratic opponent that characterised Wednesday’s speeches at the Republican convention.

Instead, Mr Bush used his keynote speech accepting his party’s presidential nomination to flesh out for the first time a domestic agenda for a second term.

After an initial four years, which were frequently traumatic for many Americans, witnessing the 9/11 attacks, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a healthy budget surplus replaced by ballooning, multi-billon-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, Mr Bush struck a determindly optimistic tone.

He reached out to swing voters in the political centre, promising a government in Washington that would “take your side”. He would simplify taxes, overhaul social security and improve access to healthcare so voters had more control over their lives and were “truly free” to pursue their dreams.

At least half of Mr Bush’s 50-minute address, though, beamed to millions of American homes in prime television time, was devoted to 9/11 and the aftermath which have defined his presidency so far.

He vowed a relentless campaign against terrorism around the world in a war which, until he corrected himself, Mr Bush said this week was unwinnable.

“We are staying on the offensive, striking terrorists abroad, so we do not have to face them here at home,” he said.

He would continue to press for democratic reforms in the Middle East, “because freedom will bring a future of hope and the peace we all want. And we will prevail”.

Mr Bush said future generations looking back would know if the US had seized its chance at a pivotal moment in history. “The freedom of many, and the future security of our nation, now depend on us.”

But his speech was still hot off the press when Democrats started firing back, saying Mr Bush’s presidency would instead be remembered “for the failures and divisiveness of his leadership”.

A spokesman for the Kerry campaign said: “George Bush squandered our unity and our prosperity. These four negative nights have confirmed the obvious — this country can’t take four more years of George Bush’s callous presidency.”

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